High blood pressure (or hypertension) affects nearly 72 million Americans. It is commonly known as the “silent killer,” because it creeps up on you. One of the most dangerous aspects of this disease is that you could not even know that you have high blood pressure.

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work much harder to pump blood to all the necessary places in the body and it contributes to the hardening of the arteries.

People who are more likely to develop high blood pressure:

Elderly people

African Americans

Heavy drinkers/smokers

Women taking birth control

Family history of high blood pressure

Women who are pregnant

People who eat too much fatty foods or foods with too much salt

Symptoms

Generally there are no signs or symptoms of high blood pressure. In most cases, people don’t even know they have high blood pressure. The only way to truly find out is to have your blood pressure checked by your physician.

How is high blood pressure diagnosed?

Only your physician can diagnose you with high blood pressure. Your physician will measure your blood pressure with simple test using an inflatable cuff attached to your upper arm and a stethoscope.

Treatment

Making lifestyle changes along with drug therapy is typical for treating high blood pressure. Lifestyle changes include start exercising, quit smoking, start eating healthier, reducing your sodium intake and limiting alcohol. Among the leading prescription drugs for treating high blood pressure you will find Caduet and Diovan. They work by stopping the narrowing of blood vessels, which increases blood flow. This relieves stress on your heart and lowers your blood pressure. There are several types of drugs that are on the market for treating high blood pressure, including ACE inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Though high blood pressure is a disease that cannot be cured, it can be easily managed by eating right, exercising and the right drug treatment.

EquivaMeds is a prescription drug cost-reduction resource developed by physicians to help your doctor understand your costs and options. We know you are well informed about generics, but often have never heard about same-class equivalents. EquivaMeds helps your doctor understand the one thing he or she doesn’t know about your healthcare: the out-of-pocket cost of your prescription drugs. Like generic drugs, equivalent-class medications can save money for millions of people without reducing the quality of your care.

Click the following link to visit EquivaMeds to find out how you can save when it comes to your prescription medication.

Our goal at EquivaMeds is to provide you and your physician with information regarding potential medication alternatives. We understand your physician is the only person with the clinical training and familiarity with your medical history to best determine the next step for your medication. Your doctor will always provide you with the best care at the lowest cost with the right information. EquivaMeds provides the information.